NASCAR
Bowman ready for spotlight at Daytona
WRAL Sports anchor Chris Lea talks 1 on 1 interview with Daytona 500 pole sitter Alex Bowman
If you previously used a social network to login to WRALSportsFan.com, click the “Forgot your password” link to reset your password.
WRAL Sports anchor Chris Lea talks 1 on 1 interview with Daytona 500 pole sitter Alex Bowman
Congratulations on getting the pole last night. Uh, looked amazing. Um, being up front with with a teammate and and but also just like you shattered him like you would so, so much faster than have you guys like traded, you know, a little like jabs with each other. Like, you know, a sfar as what may potentially happened between you two on Sunday in the front row. Yeah, I mean, I think we William and I it's more like like I give him a hard time about stuff, and he just sits there and takes it. Doesn't really jab back. Uh, while there, I thought he was gonna burn my house down because he never would jab back at all. But I think the only job I got so far was have fun with the 3.5 hours a zoom calls you got idea of. So, um, it Zraly cool toe lock out the front row with h m s and kind of like old times with the 48 in the 24. Both upfront. So, um, so honored to be driving the 48 car for ally to get them a pole right away. Hopefully William and I could do a really good job on Sunday, and I'm keeping both the cars out front. You have big shoes to fill. When you took over the 88. Now you're with the 48 Jimmie Johnson leaving, uh, retiring. Um, did you maybe have, like, an internal talk with yourself first? And, you know, before the season say I have to come out, you know, really strong. Just so I can make my name, my stamp on all this and not have people compare me Thio who? I drove a car who drove the same number before me. Yeah. I mean, I don't think I had my like, we need toe come out strong and run strong all year and be strong each and every week. But like, not because of the 48. Um, really, just because I feel like, um, you know, we need to have a really successful year It's really important for Al I really important for us as a team to continue to improve. You know, the end of last year was really strong, and we need to keep improving each and every week and win a lot of races and contend for championships. So, um, I want to run well, no matter what numbers on the car, I think driving the 48th and honor, but doesn't really add any pressure to me. I would still wanna win just as much, no matter what, being able to be in the front row for four years, something that nobody has ever done. I'm sure you love that as as an accomplishment, but what's the next step for for you, Thio? To solidify yourself is one of the top drivers in NASCAR? Yeah, I think for me, as far as this week goes, it's toe, you know, finish off Sunday really strong and and try to win the Daytona 500. Obviously, that's that's the immediate task. But, um, you know, beyond that, it's just being consistently outfront each and every week, and we were able to do it really like the last 12 weeks of the year last year. But we definitely had our fair share of ups and downs before that. So if we could just be really consistent all year, be consistently strong and try to make that round of four and and have a shot at a championship at the end of the year. I think that z really the statement we need to make and really quickly. Um What? I wanna know what your thoughts are on the road course at Daytona. You know how fun, exciting or scary is it? Thio, you know, have that race coming up next week? Yeah, it was, You know, I love road racing. I I may not be the best at it, but I feel like I've continued to improve, and I have a lot of fun at it. Running the Clash on Tuesday night was a lot of fun. I feel like we were in a position to be able to win that race. And until we got crashed there at the end. So I feel like that was a great test session for for next weekend. And I know we're gonna come back and be really strong. Knows a lot of variables in this, but this will be the last thing finish this sentence for me. Alex Bowman can win the Daytona 500 if if we make it to the end, we gotta be there at then. We get caught up in crashes like almost at the end of the 500. It seems like every year. So if we're there at the end of the race with clean race car, we have, we have a great shot to win.